From the Sector

Coloreel Group AB, a pioneering Swedish technology company known for its instant thread dyeing technology, today announced that it has filed for bankruptcy. The decision comes after the company's inability to develop its business volume quickly enough and, related to this, secure the necessary financing.

Despite many in-depth discussions with financial investors and potential industrial partners to secure additional funding, Coloreel has been unable to overcome its financial hurdles.

Coloreel has aimed to transform the textile industry with unique coloring and design possibilities through a sustainable and efficient thread dyeing process. The company has over 90 customers in the global market, many of them well-known brands. Over 120 granted patents across 45 markets ensure robust protection of the innovative technology.

"It is with a heavy heart that we announce the filing for bankruptcy today. We have been working very hard to introduce a new technology and new ways of working on the global textile market. Despite relentless efforts to grow the business, minimize operational costs, and secure additional funding, the challenges are too great. The board and the management are incredibly proud of what our team has achieved, and we are grateful for the support we have received from our partners, customers, and investors”, states Anders Persson, Chairman of the Board, Coloreel Group AB.

The filing also applies for the daughter company Coloreel AB.

Members of TMAS – the Swedish textile machinery association – are proving instrumental in pioneering new sustainable processes for the dyeing, finishing and decoration of textiles.

The wasteful processes involved in these manufacturing stages are only one component in the development of viable circular supply chains for textiles that are now being established in Sweden.

At the recent Conference on Sustainable Finishing of Textiles, held across three separate afternoons on September 30^th, October 1^st and October 7^th, delegates heard that Sweden will introduce extended producer responsibility (EPR) for waste textiles and clothing at the beginning of 2022, ahead of the adoption of a similar European Union-wide EPR system in 2025.

New fibers
Swedish companies are also active in the development of new fibers derived from waste clothing, building on the country’s legacy leadership in pulp and paper production.

At the Sustainable Finishing of Textiles Conference, however, it was said that all of the environmental gains made by such sustainable new fibers can potentially be cancelled out in the further processing they are subjected to – and especially in resource-intensive conventional dyeing, finishing and decoration.

TMAS members Baldwin Technology and Coloreel have both developed solutions to address this issue.

TexCoat G4
During the conference, Baldwin’s VP of Global Business Development Rick Stanford explained that his company’s TexCoat G4 non-contact spray technology significantly reduces water, chemistry and energy consumption in the finishing process. It consistently and uniformly sprays chemistry across a fabric surface and applies it only where needed, on one or both sides.

Instant coloring
Coloreel’s CEO Mattias Nordin outlined the benefits of his company’s technology which enables the high-quality and instant coloring of a textile thread on-demand and can be paired with any existing embroidery machine without modification. This enables unique effects like shades and gradient to be achieved in an embroidery for the first time.